Redcliffe Environmental Forum
  • News and Events
  • Plant of the Week
  • Special Features
  • About
  • Contact

Protecting the fringes of Hays Inlet and Moreton Bay

1/13/2017

0 Comments

 
Many of our projects focus on the wetlands of Hays Inlet and Moreton Bay in general. These areas of interest include the important saltmarsh and mangrove zones that underpin the health of Moreton Bay through improving water quality, stabilising the coastline and providing habitat and food for the flora and fauna of the region as well as support our fisheries. Other important areas, which deserve our attention, are the remaining fringes or buffer zones that in many cases separate our natural areas from urban and industrial development.
   
A buffer zone is a designated area of land usually associated with a reserve or national park. They are established in some cases in order to protect the reserve area from negative human disturbances such as noise, pollutants and weeds. For example, designated Ramsar (protection areas for international wading bird) sites are meant to have a 100 m buffer around them (preventing any development activities which could impact on the wildlife). Unfortunately, most of the Moreton Bay area does not have designated buffer zones underpinned by environmental design. This makes any remaining areas of land between developed sites and the wetlands extremely important.

In Hays Inlet, the landward edge of the saltmarsh areas can often be associated with a natural buffer zone. Immediately adjacent to the high tide line these zones contain a mixture of terrestrial flora adapted to the conditions including Casuarina, Melaleuca and some species of Eucalypt. These areas form valuable refuges for wildlife, including koalas, as well as acting as filters reducing industrial and urban run-off to the saltmarsh and estuary areas. In places these zones can be quiet narrow and are subject to high levels of disturbance from human activities.

To maximise their functionality as a refuge for wildlife as well as a buffer for our wetlands it is important to manage these critical areas for weeds and minimise disturbance. This will reduce the potential damage caused by wildfires as well as filter any excess nutrients and pollutants directly entering the saltmarsh habitats of Hays Inlet and Moreton Bay.
0 Comments

Welcome to 2017

1/13/2017

0 Comments

 
Welcome back to the REF Blog!  The new year of 2017 sees REF Inc ready to hit the ground running and make a difference to our local environment, especially around Hays Inlet and Moreton Bay. We are maintaining our efforts at the Clontarf Eco-Path site and we are looking forward to continuing to collaborate and work with members of the community as well as our project partners including the Moreton Bay Regional Council, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Healthy Waterways and Catchments, Mangrove Watch and the Birders of the South Pine River.
0 Comments

    Author

    Bob Crudgington
    Redcliffe Environmental Forum Inc

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.